1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a memory card connector for an information apparatus, and in particular to a memory card connector for an information apparatus which is capable of preventing a memory card from being damaged in injecting and ejecting operation and preventing a memory card from projecting abruptly from a connector by including a memory card tray.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As depicted in FIG. 1, in a memory card connector for an information apparatus in accordance with the prior art, a memory card insertion portion 2 is formed inside a frame 1, and a plurality of connector terminals 3 for transmitting signals to a terminal CT of a memory card C are installed at the inner surface of the memory card insertion portion 2.
The plurality of connector terminals 3 are extended-installed from the rear of the memory card insertion portion 2 opposite to the front of the frame 1 where the memory card C is inserted.
In the meantime, as depicted in FIG. 2, a substrate contact portion 3xe2x80x2 is curved-formed so as to be parallel to a surface of a substrate B in order to connect circuits and elements of the substrate B being mounted the frame 1 on.
The substrate contact portion 3xe2x80x2 connects signals between the substrate B and an connector by contacting to the upper surface of the substrate B.
And, an eject lever 5 is installed at the inner side of the frame 1 in a length direction of the frame 1.
An interlocking unit 5xe2x80x2 is curved-formed at the outer end of the eject lever 5 in order to interlock with an eject knob (not shown) installed at the exterior of the information apparatus and is operated by a user.
In the meantime, an operating lever 7 is installed at the rear of the frame 1 so as to horizontally cross the installation portion of the plurality of connector terminals.
The operating lever 7 pushes the memory card C inserted into the memory card insertion portion 2 outside of the connector by rotating at a certain angle centering around a rotation center pin 1P formed in the frame 1.
And, the operating lever 7 is operated by the eject lever 5, an interlocking groove 7xe2x80x2 is formed at the side of the operating lever 7, an interlocking protrusion 6 for interlocking with the operating lever 7 is formed in the interlocking groove 7xe2x80x2 so as to contact to the eject lever 5.
And, an assembly hole 8 for assembling the rotation center pin 1P and a combination hole 8xe2x80x2 which can be a rotation center of the operating lever 7 by combining with the rotation center pin 1P are formed inside the operating lever 7 and interlocking groove 7xe2x80x2.
Herein, the assembly hole 8 is formed greater than a diameter of the rotation center pin 1P, and the combination hole 8xe2x80x2 is formed same as or a little bit greater than the diameter of the rotation center pin 1P.
In addition, as depicted in FIG. 1, a push unit 9 is formed at the opposite side of the rotation center pin 1P so as to contact to the end portion of the memory card C in order to push the memory card C outwardly.
As depicted in FIG. 2, the memory card connector in accordance with the prior art is installed on the substrate B.
In other words, the frame 1 is installed onto the substrate B, and the substrate contact portion 3xe2x80x2 of the plurality of connector terminals 3 is surface-welded so as to contact to the substrate B.
On that basis, when the memory card C is inserted into the memory card insertion portion 2 of the frame I from the exterior of the information apparatus by the user, the plurality of terminals CT of the memory card C can be contacted to the plurality of connector terminals 3, accordingly signals can be contacted between the memory card C and information apparatus. (i.e., in more detail, signals can be contacted between the memory card C and the substrate B.)
When the memory card C is inserted into the frame 1, the push unit 9 of the operating lever 7 is tightly contacted to the rear end of the memory card C.
Hereinafter, the operation for ejecting the memory card C from the information apparatus will now be described.
When the user pushes the eject lever 5 in an arrow direction as shown in FIG. 1, the interlocking protrusion 6 and the interlocking groove 7xe2x80x2 are interlocked by the movement of the eject lever 5, the operating lever 7 rotates in a counter-clockwise direction centering around the rotation center pin 1P as shown in FIG. 1, accordingly the push unit 9 of the operating lever 7 outwardly pushes the memory card C.
As described above, when the memory card C outwardly projects a little by the operation of the eject lever 5, the user can grasp the memory card C and can eject the memory card C from the information apparatus.
However, the memory card connector for the information apparatus in accordance with the prior art has below problems.
First, because the push unit 9 is constructed so as to push not both rear ends of the memory card C but the one rear end of the memory card C, although the operating lever 7 pushes the memory card C by rotating, the all push power can not be used for pushing the memory card C outwardly but part of the push power is used for a rotation moment of the memory card C.
Accordingly, the ejecting operation of the memory card C can not be performed smoothly, and at the same time the memory card may be easily damaged by rubbing with the side wall of the frame 1 due to the rotation moment.
In addition, when the ejecting operation is not performed smoothly, the user has to insert the memory card C again inside the memory card insertion portion C in order to eject the memory card C by operating the eject lever 5.
In the meantime, in order to solve above-mentioned problems, a stroke of the eject lever 5 has to increase in order to push the memory card C more securely, as well as the size of the memory card connector has to increase in accordance with the increase of the stroke of the eject lever 5, accordingly it is inappropriate because of an area increase problem on the substrate B.
And, in the ejecting operation of the memory card C, when the memory card C is ejected from the frame 1, because there is no unit for holding the memory card C, the memory card C may be totally separated from the information apparatus and may be damaged due to a collision with a floor.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a memory card connector for an information apparatus which is capable of performing the inserting/ejecting operation of a memory card into/from a memory card connector as a linear motion.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a memory card connector for an information apparatus which is capable of performing the inserting/ejecting operation of a memory card more securely.
In order to achieve the objects of the present invention, there is a memory card connector for an information apparatus in accordance with the present invention including two frames separately having a memory card insertion portion, a plurality of connector terminals installed at a certain side of the each frame and connected to a memory card, a card tray for being mounted the memory card and moving back and forth inside the each frame, and an inserting and ejecting means for installing the card tray inside the frame and moving the card tray outwardly.